VZCZCXRO3564
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #3824/01 3350438
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010438Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3499
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/GWI, SCA/FO, SCA/A 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL PGOV KDEM AF
SUBJECT: 2010 Afghan International Women of Courage Nominees 
 
REF: STATE 111471 
 
¶1.  Women in Afghanistan face extraordinary circumstances that 
frequently prevent them from attending school, working outside the 
home, or even living free from the fear of becoming the victim of 
domestic violence. However, the number of courageous Afghan women 
who fight against pervasive cultural norms to better the lives of 
all women in their country is outstanding. Despite serious threats 
to their own safety, sometimes by members of their own families, 
numerous women in Kabul and the provinces continue their work to 
advance women's rights in Afghanistan. Embassy Kabul recommends 
Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi, followed by Judge Mihro Hamid and Baghlan 
Provincial Council Member Shokuria Assil for the 2010 Secretary's 
International Women of Courage Award. 
 
------------------------------- 
Police Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi 
Director of Gender, Human, and Child Rights, Ministry of the 
Interior (MoI) 
Kabul, Afghanistan 
DOB: 06 November 1970, Afghanistan 
Telephone: 079-773-5854; E-mail: Gmu_Director@yahoo.com 
Home Address: Sarai Ghazni Debori, Karte 3, 
Kabul, Afghanistan 
Passport: (number will be provided in septel) 
Languages Spoken: Dari, Pashto, and currently enrolled in English 
course 
 
¶3.  Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi began her career in the Afghan National 
Police and continues to work for the Ministry of the Interior in 
Kabul, Afghanistan. She has served as the Director of Gender, Human, 
and Child Rights since 2008, where she strives to ensure other 
Afghan women are granted the respect they deserve. 
 
¶4.  Throughout her career, Col Shafiqa has progressed and instituted 
change that positively affects the future of Afghan women in the 
workforce. Colonel Shafiqa established and headed a working group to 
create the Afghan National Gender Recruitment Strategy Plan, with 
the vision to increase women working under the Ministry of the 
Interior to 5,000 and to "Increase the membership/physical presence 
of women in the MoI at all levels in order to improve the quality of 
service to the women and children of Afghanistan." In addition to 
recruiting more women, the plan secures benefits and incentives to 
promote women in the workforce. Some incentives include childcare, 
healthcare (specifically for women during pregnancy), security, and 
to provide literacy and other training in an effort to maximize the 
potential for career advancement. 
 
¶5.  As of March 8, 2009, Colonel Shafiqa has assisted in processing 
42 promotions for women working in the Afghan National Police who 
had been passed over for promotion for the past 10 years. She 
continues to advocate for other women working for the MoI, including 
in the Afghan National Police (ANP), as well as for women and 
children throughout Afghanistan. Through her work Colonel Shafiqa 
consistently strives to raise awareness about gender rights and the 
role of women in the ANP. She also forged a strong partnership with 
representatives from the Combined Security Transition Command - 
Afghanistan (CSTC-A), which oversees police training. She always 
maintains positive lines of communication, is consistently available 
to answer questions, and generously assists with the coordination of 
training for women in the ANP. 
 
¶6.  Colonel Shafiqa's dedication to helping Afghans also extends 
outside of her professional capacity. At the MoI and the Childcare 
Center she has helped coordinate humanitarian missions in which 
clothing, toys, and school supplies were delivered to Afghan 
teachers and children 
 
¶7.  Colonel Shafiqa has shown leadership by initiating programs that 
strengthen the Afghan National Police. Improving the ANP's capacity 
is vital to the Embassy's goal of transferring responsibility for 
security to the Afghans.  Her work to promote other women in the ANP 
exemplifies the spirit of unity and gender equality which 
Afghanistan needs to succeed.  Colonel Shafiqa has consistently 
risked her own personal well-being to help all Afghan people, but 
especially Afghan women, as well as the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. 
 
 
------------------------ 
Senior Judge Mihro Hamid 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. Biographical and contact information will be sent septel. 
 
¶9. Senior Judge Mihro Hamid was born in 1955 and graduated from the 
Sharia Law faculty of Kabul University in 1976.  Thereafter she 
completed Afghanistan's Judicial Training Course and became a judge 
in 1978.  Since then she has worked in numerous courts, serving 12 
 
KABUL 00003824  002 OF 002 
 
 
years in the Appellate Tribunal of the Kabul Provincial Court.  In 
2002, she was appointed a member of the Independent Judicial Reform 
Commission.  In 2005, she became a counselor to the Supreme Court 
Public Security Tribunal. 
 
¶10. Supreme Court Chief Justice Azimi appointed Judge Hamid to be 
Chief of the Appellate Court of the Central Narcotics Tribunal in 
December 2008.  Since then, she has served with distinction, 
presiding over numerous serious narcotics trials and clearing an 
enormous backlog of cases which had accumulated because other judges 
feared reprisals against the court.  She has become known for her 
fearlessness, her keen intellect, and her admirable judicial 
temperament. 
 
¶11. In a recent interview with the U.K. Guardian, Judge Hamid 
decried the recent pardons by her government of major drug 
traffickers.  She noted the importance of the rule of law and said 
that there would be no justice in Afghanistan until the president 
supported a judiciary under constant threat from organized crime. 
 
¶12. While Judge Hamid's work does not focus explicitly on women's 
issues, her courage to fight for social justice on behalf of all 
Afghans is truly exemplary.  Her work shows other Afghan women that 
their voices are worth being heard, and that they, too, have the 
power to encourage positive change in Afghan society. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Provincial Council Member Shokuria Assil 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶13. Full Name: Shokuria Assil 
Title: Provincial Council Member 
Date of Birth: June 15, 1973 
Address: Pol-i-Khumri City, Baghlan Province, Afghanistan 
Country of Birth: Afghanistan 
Citizenship: Afghanistan 
Contact information: shokria1@gmail.com; 0708 968 674 
Languages: Dari; Pashto; working-level English and Urdu 
No passport to date 
 
¶14. Ms. Assil is a true leader who is committed to empowering women 
in Afghanistan.  As one of four female members of the Baghlan 
Provincial Council, she embodies the ideals of democracy in her 
efforts to bring a voice, opportunity, and justice to all members of 
Afghan society, regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or, in 
particular, gender.  In her work, Ms. Assil addresses issues that 
others neglect (advocating for programs for the mentally unstable), 
is an innovator (starting a networking group for professional 
women), and a pioneer (pushing to start a driving school for 
females).  She has promoted women in media, created linkages between 
remote communities and their provincial government, and worked to 
advance educational opportunities for young girls. 
 
¶15. Ms. Assil's most significant contribution to the advancement of 
women's rights in Baghlan has been to increase the accountability 
and responsiveness of the government regarding the needs and 
treatment of females.  In one particular case last year, the 
Ministry of Education published negative information in the media 
about three female teachers in Baghlan Province; the provincial 
Department of Education subsequently fired these individuals.  Ms. 
Assil challenged the Ministry.  She capably argued that the firings 
were unjust, resulting in the women regaining their positions, 
eventually getting a representative of the Ministry to come to 
Baghlan to apologize publicly. 
 
¶16. In a case in Nahrin, a girl who had been gang-raped and rejected 
by her family was handed over to a step-uncle, who was involved in 
illegal activities.  After the situation was brought to Ms. Assil's 
attention, the Governor, who was from the same region and knew the 
four men involved in the rape, strongly advised her to drop the 
case.  Ms. Assil forged ahead and successfully convinced the 
appropriate government entities to engage in the case.  In the end, 
the family agreed to accept the girl home if the government could 
remove her from the step-uncle, and the girl returned safely to her 
family. 
 
¶17. Ms. Assil's achievements are exceptional, particularly given 
that provincial and local female officials are not often afforded 
the same degree of legitimacy within the government as are males and 
are often shut out of decision-making and key events. 
Significantly, violence against women has risen in Baghlan Province 
and the female officials here have been recipients of kidnapping and 
death threats - all, including Ms. Assil, have stories of near 
misses.  Police and security force members often encourage Ms. Assil 
to cease her work and fail to respond appropriately to her requests 
for assistance.  Despite the extremely challenging circumstances, 
and in the face of threats to herself and her livelihood, Ms. Assil 
has not only stood firm but pushed ahead.  She has risked her life 
to assist others, to promote the greater good, and to continue 
working towards everything she believes in.